Policies and Procedures

Transcription

1 Policies and Procedures TITLE: PARKING ENFORCEMENT I. Purpose: To provide policy and procedures regarding parking enforcement that are applicable to all individuals who operate motor vehicles on any campus or center of J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College (JSRCC), to include college roads and grounds, that are in the best interest of public safety and security and in compliance with the rules and regulations mandated by the Commonwealth of Virginia, the Virginia Community College System (VCCS), and the President s Executive Cabinet of J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College. II. Definitions: Campus: includes JSRCC campuses and centers. Compact vehicles: for the purpose and enforcement of this policy, a car having dimensions within the vehicles specifications no wider than 71 and no longer than 185. Motor vehicle: any self-propelled vehicle, which may or may not require a state license III. Policy: The operation of motor vehicles on the campuses of J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College is a privilege granted by the college. This privilege is extended to faculty, staff, students, and authorized visitors to JSRCC. Failure to adhere to these regulations as well as the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia may result in a citation and may result in the loss of parking privileges on the campuses of J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College. The parking enforcement policy of J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College as set forth in this document, supplements but does not supersede, the regulations established by the Division of Motor Vehicles of the Commonwealth of Virginia. This policy and procedures compliments, and may therefore refer to, other published college documents. Additional parking information is available to JSRCC students in the Student Handbook, issued by the Office of Student Affairs. A. General Information JSRCC makes every effort to provide safe and convenient parking for all who attend the college. Since JSRCC does not receive state funding to support the parking program, auxiliary fees and local monies are necessary to build and maintain parking lots and

2 parking decks, paint lots, install signage, provide lighting and safety equipment, and install other parking devices. JSRCC continues to make every effort to keep parking fees as low as possible and still maintain a service that provides a safe and convenient parking experience. Requests for special parking needs, temporary parking, and parking after normal business hours (as defined by JSRCC Policy No. 4-36, Employee Access to College Facilities), which are not discussed herein, are to be directed to the chief of police and/or designee for assessment based on merit and space availability. The college is not responsible for damage to vehicles while parked on college property. B. Compact Vehicles Parking privileges at JSRCC entitle the driver to use only one parking space between painted lines. Parking on or over the lines is a violation subject to a fine. Space is not always available for oversized vehicles. Therefore, vehicles must fit between lines and not extend into an aisle. The college recognizes the vagueness in parking laws and ordinances for compact spaces. The Definitions section defines what constitutes a compact vehicle on college owned or leased property. C. Parking decals/hanging tags 1. Display regulations All vehicles parked on campus must display a valid college parking decal or hanging tag. The registration of a vehicle does not guarantee a parking space, but affords the registrant an opportunity to park in authorized parking areas when space is available. Parking is limited to individuals who are actively conducting business on the college property. Decals are designed with an adhesive backing to be attached to the outside of the vehicle either on the glass or on the bumper. The driver must ensure that the decal is visible and displayed on the vehicle s left rear bumper or on the left rear window. Motorcycles must have the decal attached to the flat surface on the left side of the vehicle. Transfer of a decal from one vehicle to another is a violation and shall result in the issuance of a parking citation. It is the driver s responsibility to ensure the decal is placed in a visible location. Hanging tags are designed to hang from the rearview mirror or can be displayed on the dashboard of a vehicle. The tag must be displayed with the maroon side facing the windshield. Transfer of hanging tags from one vehicle to another is permitted with the provision that the owner of the tag completes the online parking pass form 2

3 to register the additional vehicles. The registration of short-term rental vehicles is not required. It is the driver s responsibility to ensure that the tag is placed in a visible location from the front windshield. 2. Student Decals All full-time and part-time students must display a decal on vehicles parked on campus. Decals are required every semester, including the summer, and are valid from the fall semester through the end of the following summer semester. Applications for parking decals are accessed via JSRCC Form No , Parking Decal Application or at: 3. Faculty/staff hanging tag All full-time and part-time faculty and staff must display a hanging tag on vehicles parked on campus. Employees are responsible for providing correct information on their parking record. Applications for hanging tags are accessed via JSRCC Form No or at: All JSRCC parking citations must be paid prior to a request for a new or replacement hanging tag. Employees operating motorcycles are to contact the lieutenant of police operations at for further assistance. 4. Parking decal/hanging tag fees Category Type Registration Fee Student Full-Time and Part-Time Decal No Charge Replacement Decal $10.00 College Staff Full-Time and Part-Time Hanging Tag No Charge Replacement Hanging Tag $10.00 D. Loss or destruction of decals/hanging tag, or change of registered vehicle 3

4 1. If a decal/hanging tag is stolen or damaged, it should be reported immediately to the Department of Police in Room 100, Burnette Hall, at the Parham Road Campus or by calling The college shall not be held responsible for lost or stolen decals/hanging tags. 2. A replacement decal shall be provided at no charge if a vehicle is sold, traded, or is no longer parked on the campus. An identifiable portion of the decal must be presented to the Department of Police along with a request for a replacement decal. Otherwise there shall be a fee for a replacement decal. Decals should be removed from a vehicle prior to its disposal. E. Special Parking All questions concerning the issuance of parking decals and/or hanging tags should be directed to the Department of Police. 1. Handicapped permit Handicapped permits issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) in any state or the District of Columbia shall be honored on campuses. Handicapped permits must be valid, displayed properly, and used only by the person(s) to whom they were issued. It is a violation of Virginia state law to misuse a handicapped permit. Vehicles with a handicapped permit should park in spaces provided throughout the campus specifically marked for the handicapped. All lots have at least one handicapped space. A handicapped parking permit must also display a JSRCC decal/hanging tag. 2. Reserved parking Reserved parking awarded as recognition for employees cannot be shared or given to another employee. Employees choosing not to use their reserved parking space must notify the president s executive assistant, and any unused space shall be released for general use. 3. Special events Special events are those occasions which require one-time parking privileges. These occasions include, but are not limited to Fall/Spring Convocation, college-sponsored cultural events, and athletic events. Parking for these occasions will be free and open to the public. Internal events requiring parking spaces shall be coordinated through the Department of Police with the exception of the Downtown Campus Parking Deck. Requests shall be submitted via to the chief of police or by calling the police supervisor of the campus at Requests for the Downtown Campus shall be coordinated through the parking deck manager at External events requiring parking spaces shall be coordinated through the facilities rental coordinator at

5 4. Visitor or daily parking Visitors to the Parham Road Campus, Goochland Campus, and Ginter Park Center may park in any open parking space not designated as reserved or handicapped. Visitors for the Downtown Campus who park in the deck must have their ticket signed by the person whom they are visiting and obtain a validation sticker from the campus Department of Police office located on the first floor of DTC. 5. Overnight Parking F. Parking Areas Overnight parking is prohibited without the permission of the college. Permission must be coordinated through the Department of Police. Any unauthorized vehicle parked overnight is subjected to tow (see section L.2). General parking is allowed only in marked parking spaces/areas. Vehicles parked in unauthorized locations may be ticketed and towed. Parking is not permitted in the areas below: driveways, crosswalks, exits or entrances (15 feet from corners), alleys or grassy areas on any college parking lots fire lanes handicapped parking (unless a permit is visible) loading dock area (except for loading or unloading) parking against the flow of traffic reserved parking spaces or lots within 15 feet of a fire hydrant yellow painted area or areas not marked with a line to indicate parking G. Parking Locations 1. Ginter Park Center Parking is available for students and employees at 1300 Westwood Avenue. 2. Parham Road campus and Workforce Development and Conference Center. Parking is available for students and employees in any of the valid parking spaces and lots on campus grounds. 3. Goochland Campus 5

6 Parking is available for students and employees in any of the valid parking spaces and lots on campus grounds. 4. Downtown Campus a. Navy Hill Parking Deck located on the 5th and 6 th floors at 700 Navy Hill Drive is available for employees. b. Downtown Campus Parking Deck on 8 th Street is available for all students and visitors. Availability of parking in the DTC Parking Deck for faculty and staff is based on student usage and shall be communicated by the parking deck manager. c. Lots A and B, located across Interstate 95 (I-95) on 7th Street, are available for employees, students, and visitors and do not require an ID to access the lots. Vehicles parked in these lots must display a parking decal or hanging tag. d. The hours for the Navy Hill and Downtown Campus Parking Decks can be found at: H. Access to DTC parking locations 1. Navy Hill Parking Deck A valid employee ID is needed to gain entry to the deck. Entry is by swipe card access at the entrance of the assigned floor. 2. Downtown Campus Parking Deck a. Students who are registered for at least one (1) credit at the Downtown Campus or Ginter Park Center have swipe card access to park in the DTC Parking Deck. b. Other students must obtain a ticket as they enter the deck. Tickets can be validated at the campus Department of Police on the first floor of DTC if a valid Student ID or course schedule is presented; otherwise payment is required to exit the deck. Additional information can be found in the Parking Ticket Validation Process section. Faculty and staff who have been provided access to the deck have swipe card access to enter and exit. c. Failure to swipe the ID card to exit the deck shall result in the individual not being able to enter at a later date. The system must show an entrance and exit each time the card is used. 6

7 d. Problems with ID card access shall be communicated to the parking manager located on the first level of the parking deck adjacent to the cashier booth, or by telephone at or the cashier at e. Visitors must obtain a ticket as they enter the deck. Tickets must be signed by a college employee and validated at the campus Department of Police on the first floor of DTC, prior to exiting the parking deck. Otherwise, payment is required to exit the deck. I. Downtown Campus parking ticket validation process 1. In order to exit the Downtown Campus Parking Deck, a ticket must be validated by the campus Department of Police. If a ticket is not validated, there are three (3) options listed below in order to exit the parking deck. Option 1: The individual shall be charged the appropriate parking fee based on the posted parking rates in conjunction with the duration of their visit. Option 2: In the event the individual does not have sufficient funds to pay for parking, the individual shall be required to complete a Customer Shortage Form upon exiting the parking deck. The cashier shall verify the accuracy of the Customer Shortage Form with the individual s drivers license. The individual is provided five (5) calendar days in which to pay the shortage or the data is placed in the collection database system and in the case of a student, an obligation shall be placed on the student s account. Appeals of the Customer Shortage Form can be made within five (5) days by completing JSRCC Form No , Customer Shortage Appeal Form, or online at Option 3: If possible, the individual may be permitted to back-up and park their vehicle in order to have their parking ticket validated by campus Department of Police located on the first floor of DTC J. DTC parking ticket validation authority 1. Ticket validations are primarily handled by the Department of Police, located on the first floor of Downtown Campus. If no one is available in the office, individuals should contact Police Dispatch at for assistance. 2. There may be specific times at the beginning of each semester and during special events when other departments may be authorized to validate parking 7

8 tickets. However, these instances are infrequent and handled on a case-bycase basis by the parking services manager. 3. A valid picture ID must be presented and the log book signed for the officer to validate a ticket unless it has been authorized and signed by a department. 4. Validated tickets must be presented to the parking deck cashier when exiting the parking deck. K. Emergency situations 1. Both parking decks have emergency police call stations located on each level at both ends of the deck. 2. Handicapped assistance call stations are located at each stairwell. Calls are directed to the cashier booths on the main level. Handicapped individuals may communicate their need for assistance to the cashiers. 3. Any questions or concerns may be directed to the parking manager at or the cashier at L. Parking violations and sanctions 1. Tickets/citations The Department of Police is authorized to issue citations for violations of the college parking enforcement policy. The college reserves the right to issue citations for violations in addition to those shown on the actual ticket. 2. Towing Vehicles may be towed at the owner's expense under the following circumstances: a. vehicles parked illegally and/or causing a traffic hazard including, but not limited to: handicap parking violations parking in fire lanes blocking ingress and egress blocking fire hydrants b. vehicles parked overnight without police authority in excess of five (5) days. The parking deck manager must notify the Department of Police of any approved vehicle parked in the Navy Hill or Downtown Campus Parking Deck extending past the five (5) day maximum. 8

9 M. Violations and fines c. unauthorized vehicles parked in reserved spaces Any towing fees shall be paid directly to the towing company. 1. DMV violations Virginia Uniform Traffic Summons issued by the Department of Police for parking violations must be adjudicated in the General District Court in the appropriate jurisdiction of the occurrence of the offense based on the campus location below: Downtown Campus and Ginter Park Center City of Richmond Parham Road Campus Henrico County Goochland Campus Goochland County Fee After 15 Days Description Initial Fee (Incl. Late Fee) Parking in handicapped space $50 $65 Parking in reserved space $20 $35 Parking in restricted space $20 $35 Parking in fire lane $20 $35 Parking in a loading zone $20 $35 Parking within 15 feet of a fire hydrant $20 $35 Parking on sidewalk, crosswalk, driveway or grass $20 $35 Parking an unregistered/unauthorized vehicle $20 $35 Parking against the flow of traffic $20 $35 Improper/double parking $20 $35 Blocking normal flow of traffic $20 $35 Blocking another vehicle $20 $35 2. Payment of fines for JSRCC owned citations a. Parking fines must be paid within fifteen (15) calendar days of receipt of the citation at any campus Business Office. Office hours for all campuses can be found at Failure to pay within fifteen (15) 9

10 N. Appeal procedures calendar days shall result in a late payment penalty of $15 per violation unless the citation is appealed within the fifteen (15) calendar day payment period. b. Employees and students who fail to pay outstanding parking fines within the thirty (30) days of issuance of the ticket, shall be subject to the collection procedures mandated by the Commonwealth of Virginia for past due accounts. Students with unpaid parking fines shall have a hold placed on their student account and shall not be able to register for subsequent terms nor receive services from the college, including the issuance of transcripts. c. Upon termination of employment with the college, all full-time and part-time faculty and/or staff must complete the Employee Separation Checklist Form indicating that all financial obligations, including parking violations, to the college have been met. Payments made upon separation must be in the form of cash, money order, credit card, cashier's check, or other certified funds. Personal checks shall not be accepted Individuals issued citations for J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College parking violations shall be afforded the right of appeal to the chief of police and/or the college parking appeals officer. The appeals process is an administrative process and not subject to a hearing and involves an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the alleged violation and whether mitigating circumstances warrant an excuse of the fine. The billing process shall be on hold pending a decision. The procedures for filing an appeal are: 1. Submit JSRCC Form No , Right of Appeal Application, in its entirety within fifteen (15) calendar days from the date of the ticket. 2. Appellants shall be notified by or in writing of the disposition of the appeal within two (2) weeks of the request. 3. If the appeal request is denied, appellants shall have fifteen (15) calendar days from the issuance of the denial letter to pay the fine. A second appeal can be made to the college s appeals officer within fifteen (15) calendar days of receiving the denied appeal. Documentation should be submitted to the college appeals officer in a sealed envelope and delivered to the Department of Police. 4. The decision of the college s appeals officer is final and binding. 5. Parking citations not paid within fifteen (15) calendar days of issuance of a denial letter shall become past due and a late fee shall be assessed. 6. Parking citations not paid within sixty (60) calendar days of issuance of a denial letter shall be submitted to a collection agency. 10

11 O. Collection of past due fines/fees Parking Services, with the assistance of the Business Office, is responsible for the collection of all past due fines and citation fees. In accordance with the Commonwealth of Virginia guidelines, all "reasonable" methods of collection shall be used. Any unpaid debt owed to the college that is referred to the collections section of student accounts is subject to a full range of collection actions. This includes, but is not limited to, the use of: payroll deduction, collection agencies, State Debt Set-Off program, holds on student accounts, withholding the issuance of a student refund, and reporting the debt to a credit reporting agency. A financial hold prevents registration, receipt of grades and transcripts, and receipt of a diploma upon graduation. These collection procedures shall be applied to the owners of the vehicles to which the parking citation was issued and/or to the registrants of those vehicles, to include any employee or student of the college. Any debtor to the college shall be liable for all costs incurred in the collection of the debt including reasonable attorney s fees. P. Authorization to void parking tickets The issuance of JSRCC parking citations on the campus is a civil responsibility of the Department of Police. Therefore, the chief of police and/or designee is the only individual assigned authority to administratively void, or rescind, an issued JSRCC parking citation. The chief's discretion in this matter is subject to the review of the vice president of finance and administration and the college s compliance officer. Documented records are maintained through the parking database. Q. Virginia Uniform Services JSRCC police officers may issue a summons for violations of various laws pursuant to the Code of Virginia. These violations must be adjudicated in the jurisdictional courts of the specified campus. These citations are not subject to the appeals process. In addition, the Department of Police is authorized to issue Richmond City Parking Citations within the jurisdictional boundaries of the JSRCC Police Department. These citations are adjudicated through the City of Richmond General District Courts and are not subject to the JSRCC appeals process. R. Enforcement Sworn members of the Police Department are authorized to enforce this policy and procedures in the interest of the safety of individuals and property. Non-sworn members of 11

12 the department are authorized to enforce JSRCC parking regulations. The vice president of finance and administration shall be the final authority on matters of parking policy as it relates to parking on the college campuses. Parking violations may be appealed directly to the chief of police and/or designee. Final authority on parking violations is the vice president of finance and administration. Except for handicapped parking, emergency vehicles are exempt from this policy. S. Questions or concerns Questions concerning the parking enforcement policy of the college may be forwarded to the campus Department of Police and/or the parking services manager via the following website The website can be accessed through the JSRCC web page. In addition, general parking inquiries may be made by calling Questions regarding payment of fines/fees should be made to the campus Business Office at the following numbers: Downtown Campus Parham Road Campus Goochland Campus IV. Procedures: NA V. Other Information: Questions regarding the application of the policy and the procedures should be directed to the vice president of finance and administration JSRCC Policy No. 4-36, Employee Access to College Facilities JSRCC Form No , Parking Decal Application JSRCC Form No , Right of Appeal Application JSRCC Form No , Customer Shortage Appeal Form JSRCC Form No , Lost/Stolen Decal Form 12